Potsdam put electrical contract out to bid for second time

POTSDAM - After an error on bid documents led to confusion among the contractors bidding on the electrical work associated with Phase II of the Potsdam Central School District’s upcoming capital project, the board of education has decided to re-bid the contract.

“The bid specifications had a number of alternates, and it called for them to be added to the base bid. However, the bid form used to submit their bid had an error calling for a deduction on one of the alternates instead of an addition,” Superintendent Patrick H. Brady said, explaining the error. “A couple of the contractors placed a deduction on the bid form.”

The fact that some contractors bid the project with the deduction and some bid the project without it, led to two contractors both staking claim to having the lowest bid.

When the board last met on June 3 for a special meeting to award the bids, the electrical bid was awarded to Watson Electric, Norwood, who bid $2,839,000.

Mr. Brady said the district received five bids for the electrical work and each of those contractors will be notified of the abbreviated rebidding process.

“The re-bid will take approximately a week, with the re-opening on the 18th,” he said.

Mr. Brady said the bid will then be awarded the following night when the board will be participating in a combined special meeting with the Canton Central School District.

“The board already had a special meeting planned on the 19th,” Mr. Brady said, adding the quick turnaround will allow the contract to be re-bid without impacting the project’s time line.

“It’s not going to impact the project in any way,” Mr. Brady said.

The electrical contract was awarded as part of the district’s $13 million capital project.

Work on Phase II of the project is expected to begin this summer.

Highlights of that work at the high school includes lighting upgrades and ceiling replacement, emergency lighting and, if necessary, asbestos abatement. The major part of the project though is converting the original building from a steam heating system to a hot water system. Masonry repairs will also be made to the outside of the building, which will also undergo a face lift.

Work at the middle school will include lighting upgrades, as well as ceiling replacement and upgrades to the building’s electrical system.

Other improvements include upgrading the building’s locks, ventilations system door replacements, kitchen upgrades and repaving the building’s sidewalks and parking lots.

At the elementary school work is scheduled to include lighting upgrades, ceiling replacement, repairs to the rear sidewalk, installation of security cameras, renovations to the playground, additional renovations to the crawl space, kitchen upgrades and the reconfiguring of office space.

Work will also include the removal of old carpets, which will be replaced with vinyl flooring, and the removal of asbestos flooring.

District-wide work is scheduled to include a new fire alarm system, as well as secure entrances for each of the buildings and other security upgrades.

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